Draco fidgeted all day.  He didn't know when Hermione was supposed to meet Amycus for her detention, but he couldn't relax.  Even when his mother bought him Firewhiskey instead of Butterbeer in an attempt to help.  When lunch came around and he still couldn't focus, she suggested they return to the castle and end their time together.

"No, I'm fine,"  he insisted.  His mother gave him a disbelieving look and pulled him in the direction they'd come into town from.

"You're restless, Draco,"  she said, rubbing his arm in an attempt to soothe him.  He appreciated the act, but it did nothing.  "It is reasonable to worry about those you love."

Draco's head turned to look at her so fast his vision blurred for a second.  His mother just gave him a knowing smile as he spluttered, trying to explain he wasn't in love with Hermione, they were just friends.  It was also very reasonable to worry about friends so much and honestly, Mother, if Blaise was an innocent in the hands of Amycus Carrow, he'd worry about him too.

"I'm sure you would,"  she agreed, "But it's a different worry."

"That's cause Blaise is a git,"  he muttered.  His mother sent him a look and he shook his head.  "Trust me, Mother.  There is nothing going on between me and Hermione right now."

"Alright,"  she ceded, though Draco could tell she wasn't fully convinced.  At least she had dropped the subject for now.  He had no doubt it would arise again in the future, but it wasn't a safe conversation to have in public and despite what she may have thought, it wasn't helping him calm down any more than the other conversation topics had.

When they finally returned to the little house they had Floo'd to, Narcissa handed Draco a handful of Floo powder.  She wasn't returning to the castle as there seemed to be no point to it, but she could at least wish him well from the privacy of a run-down house.  Later, when Draco wasn't as worried about Hermione, he would ask about its history and how she'd come to find it.  For now, though, he would stow away his questions and hug his mother.

"The books for Hermione,"  she said as he pulled away.  He was suddenly reminded of the conversation earlier that morning and smiled.

"I'll send the list,"  he promised.  She nodded and kissed his cheek.  "I assume you have a way to get through Father."

"Of course, dear,"  she replied with a sparkle in her eye.  "When you receive a package later this week, not all of it will be for you despite the letter."

"Should I worry about being replaced?"  Draco teased.  His mother laughed and shook her head, promising him no one could ever replace him.  Draco smiled and hugged her one more time.  "You promise you're alright at home?  Safe?"

"I promise, Draco,"  she said softly.

He knew there were things she wasn't telling him, but he'd spent the morning watching the way she spoke and moved and couldn't find anything wrong.  If his father was allowing her to be harmed, it wasn't physical and he could be reassured by that in the very least.

After making sure she knew to write to him if anything at home changed, he lit the fireplace with his wand and tossed in the Floo powder.  He made sure to specify the Head's dorm as he called for Hogwarts, not wanting to end up in someone's office or crash one of Severus's meetings.  With a final smile and wave to his mother, he stepped into the fireplace and tucked in his arms as he spun into his dorm.

He had barely gotten his bearings when the door opened and Hermione stumbled into the dorm.  All thoughts of his mother and the things he needed to do flew from his mind as Hermione collapsed in the doorway and groaned.  He raced over to her, checking her pulse first before gathering her up in his arms and carrying her the rest of the way into the dorm.  Magic closed and locked the door as he set her gently on the couch and knelt beside her.

"Hermione, talk to me,"  he said, putting one hand on the side of her neck to reassure himself she was breathing.  Her face was stained with tears and her breathing was ragged, but she was still conscious and alive.

"...hurt..."  she groaned, arching away from the couch cushions and breaking down into more tears.  She gasped, shaking her head as her body dropped back onto the cushions.

"What hurts?  What can I do?"  he asked, trying desperately to help and hoping the little he was touching her wasn't the source of her pain.

She didn't answer, continuing to sob and moan on the couch for several minutes.  At some point, Draco realised there were tears in his own eyes as he clutched her hand tightly and dropped his head onto her stomach.  The room filled with her cries and Draco was stuck with nothing to do but listen.  Without knowing what Amycus had done to her, he couldn't help.  Besides, he doubted he'd be able to anyway as there didn't appear to be any physical damage and whatever Hermione was experiencing left her in too much pain to talk.

"Draco?"

His head moved from her stomach to look at her.  Her voice was hoarse and Draco didn't want to think about how it was likely from her screaming.  Her fingers twitched in his hand but he didn't let her go.  Keeping hold of her kept him grounded and unlikely to storm the halls of Hogwarts solely so he could find and kill Amycus Carrow.

"Hi,"  he said weakly, reaching up to wipe the tears from his face then gently brush away hers.

She leaned into his touch and he paused, keeping his hand on her face and gently running his thumb across her cheek.

"What did he do to you?"  he asked before he could stop himself.  He knew the question would have come up sooner or later, but he suddenly doubted she wanted to talk about it right then.

"You wouldn't like my answer,"  she murmured.  Draco had figured as much, but hearing her say it only made his mind race.  As if she'd sensed the morbid thoughts coursing through his head, she closed her eyes and said,  "Crucio really is a horrible curse."

"He—"  Draco choked on his own words as new tears sprang into his eyes.  Again, her fingers twitched in his hand, this time brushing against his face softly and he looked up at her.  "I shouldn't have left,"  he said, shaking his head and mentally berating himself.  "I should have stayed and convinced him not to hurt you."

"You couldn't have done anything without suspicion,"  she muttered.  Her free hand shook as she reached toward his face.  He tried not to frown at how weak she clearly was, but he knew she noticed.

As her hand draped around his neck, he leaned down to press his forehead to hers, hoping that maybe then she could understand how horrible he felt and maybe untangle all the other emotions he was feeling.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione,"  he whispered.  She just breathed in response and Draco hadn't thought he'd ever find the motion so relaxing.  At least Amycus hadn't hurt her beyond repair.  She was still breathing and had managed to drag herself from his classroom to their dorm.  If he'd been the one to find her unconscious in a hallway, he probably would have lost his mind.

As Hermione's hand fell from his neck and she took a shaky breath, Draco suddenly wondered just how many times she'd been hit with the cruciatus curse.  He'd seen people suffer it first hand, but her body was still trembling and he knew Amycus wasn't the type to curse someone once and be done with things.

Before he asked her, however, he remembered how she'd said he wouldn't want to know and kept quiet.  He wasn't sure he could handle the news if she admitted receiving the curse more than once and he was almost certain the number would be at least three.

"I should take you to see Madam Pomfrey,"  Draco murmured, pulling his forehead away from hers to scan over her body again.  Hermione's eyes opened slowly before she shook her head.  Draco was about to insist, but she interrupted.

"What could she do?"  she asked.

Madam Pomfrey could heal physical wounds.  The cruciatus curse didn't leave physical marks.  A pain potion might help for a little while, but it couldn't do anything his own stash of potions couldn't and if Draco were entirely honest, he didn't want her to spend the night in the infirmary.  In fact, he didn't even want her to spend the night in her own room where he couldn't make certain she was still breathing and safe.  Speaking of safe, why hadn't the charm in her ring alerted him to her pain?

"Please don't read into this,"  he said, hoping she was too out of it to wonder what he meant when he asked,  "But where's the ring I gave you?"

"My nightstand,"  she muttered, eyes closed as she laid on the couch.  "Forgot it on my way to the DA."

Draco decided not to ask what the 'DA' was as she probably didn't want him to know and wasn't aware enough to stop herself from telling him.  Instead, he found himself glancing up to her room and summoning the ring.  It appeared in front of him and he slipped the necklace around her neck.

"Never take it off again,"  he said.  She gave him a weak smile and nodded, eyes still closed.

As he glanced at the clock, he knew it was too early for bed, but he knew neither of them would do anything else for the remainder of the evening.  Hermione was already almost asleep, still holding his hand tightly, so he carefully slipped his hand from hers in order to try and pick her up.

"No!"  she gasped, grabbing his hand again as her eyes flew open.  Draco leaned back over her, brushing hair away from her face as she looked up at him in terror.  "Don't leave,"  she whispered.

"I won't, I promise,"  he replied.

He kept his eyes locked on hers as he pulled his hand from hers and gently slipped his arms under her.  Very carefully, he lifted her from the couch and carried her up the stairs to his room.  If she had any objections, she didn't voice them.  Instead, she wrapped one hand around his back and watched quietly as he opened his door with a flick of his wrist and carried her over to his bed.  His blankets pulled back as he set Hermione on the bed and turned on the lamp sitting on his nightstand.

"Are you sure I won't bother you here?"  she asked as he transfigured her jeans and jumper into something more comfortable.  She didn't seem to notice the fabric change into silk pyjamas, but then again, maybe she didn't really care.

"Trust me, Hermione,"  he said, grabbing his own set of pyjamas and pausing to say,  "I'd be too worried to sleep if you weren't here."

She smiled and he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before slipping into the bathroom to change.  He doubted he'd try and sleep right away, but there was no shame in wearing pyjamas while doing homework in bed.  Besides, the last thing he wanted was to wake Hermione up by leaving to get changed later on in the night.